22 May 2012

Barnes: Unpopular LFC manager candidate 'will be successful' at Anfield. Agree?

Earlier this week, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez revealed his 'admiration' Roberto Martinez, one of the top candidates to replace Kenny Dalglish at Anfield. Lots of fans still remain unconvinced that the Spaniard is the right man for the club, but Reds legend John Barnes has no doubts, and he's thrown his support behind the current Wigan boss, who is due to meet John Henry this week for a second interview.

In an interview with the official Liverpool FC website, Barnes was asked about Martinez's suitability for the Liverpool job, and argued that the manager of a team who has beaten relegation 'has had a more successful season' that the manager who guides his team to second, third or fourth, adding:

"Martinez keeping Wigan in the Premier League is success for me. Could Alex Ferguson keep Wigan up? Could Jose Mourinho keep Wigan up? We don't know, but what Roberto has done is he has maximised the potential of that team and therefore if he goes to a better team, as long as we believe he can maximise the potential for that team, he will be successful.".

I've argued several times recently that Martinez's achievements should be considered in the proper context. Everything is relative, and belittling the Spaniard's ability by dismissing him as someone who 'saved Wigan from relegation for three years in a row' is a spectacularly narrow-minded point of view. Barnes agrees:

"You need to look at how Martinez has done it - his methods and his philosophy in terms of how you want football to be played. Stoke play football the way they do and that's 100% right for them...however, if you are talking about the ethics and traditions of a football club, you'd rather have Roberto Martinez than Tony Pullis.

"Martinez has been around for maybe four or five years, he was at Swansea before Wigan, so while his age limits the amount of experience he can possibly have, in terms of the success he's had in the last four years, I think he has proven he is a good manager".


Jan Molby does not share his former team-mates's view. Speaking to Wales Online on Sunday, the Dane - who managed Swansea in the 1990s - dismissed Martinez's chances, and threw his support behind Norwich City manager Paul Lambert

Jaimie Kanwar


72 comments:

  1. Well who know he really turn the fortune of Liverpool. I will support any manager that dare to take the challange to bring Liverpool back to top 4

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  2. I believe Martinez will be a good manager for Liverpool. I think it will be between him and AVB. And frankly i would take either. 

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  3. It's about time to stand behind the manager whoever will be! We need to unit again and give some breathing space to let them do their job. 

    IMO I believe Martinez has what it takes. Who comes in should take it by storm from the beginning and win the fans and then the fans will add that extra boost.

    Good Luck LFC

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  4. The ambition should be to take us back to the pinnacle of English football, not just back to the top 4. I know it won't be easy, or accomplished immediately, but aiming for Top 4 doesn't do Liverpool any justice imo.

    And that is a major reason why I hope that Benitez doesn't return.

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  5. HMMMMMM......Why did he allow Wigan to find themselves in that situation in the first place( Is that a good manager). Not for me thanks!!

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  6. I've lost interest now as I don't think that any Manager can turn the KD purchases into Top 4 material.
    I also don't think that FSG will invest in new players.
    This a toxic mix or posion chalice that any manager worth there salty wil baulk at the job.
    AVB couldn't do it with a Chelsea Squad which is better than ours.
    So why would he do any better with us ?

    Martinez had poorer players so effectivuly he should do better with our players, so of course he would want the job.

    FSG in my view have not looked hard enough at other candidates with PROVEN WINNING ATTITIUDE.

    Capello yes he's OLD but has won than :

    Wenger,Mourhino,Guardiola,Hiddink,Van Gal,Rijkaard,Benetiz.

    Capello has won in Serie A ,La Liga,Champions Leagues.

    So FSG are determined to get back in the TOP 4 you have a ready made winner in Capello.

    Before anyone says yeah but what did he do with England?

    May I remind that England are franky SH!TE at International Football  and have never won ANYTHING outside England.

    I would not mind Rafa Benetiz either but I doubt he has much chance due to the ANTI-BENETIZ-CULT.

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  7. Any manager who will take on the job at LFC will show that he's got BALLS and CONFIDENCE in his own ability to manage and build a winning team for the future. Lets hope whoever it is , the owner back their own decision and support him and give him time. YNWA

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  8. I meant to say that Capello has won MORE THAN :

    Wenger,Mourinhio,Guardiola,Hiddink,Van Gaal,Rijkaard & Benetiz...

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  9. Keeping the team up just of relegation is good for that club, now Barnes says he got the boys to perform to their best for three years to keep  them up. Now my problem is why for three years have they been that close to the drop zone? I mean if he gets the best out of his boys then wouldn't you think that they would be sitting closer to mid-table, i don't know, maybe he gets the best out of them when the pressure is on
    and they fear the drop zone.
    It's like our boys when ever the pressure is on us to beat the big sides we play well enough to do just that, but against teams (so called lower than us) we are expected to win we play like we are lost.
    So for me i would have to say that if Martinez has saved Wigan three times from the relegation drop, i would be more concern about the inconsistency through out his seasons, a bit like ours.
    For me AVB would be the right choice, so whoever it is, may they become a legend.

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  10. I hope we get behind either of the young candidates.. I certainly intend to! You cannot underestimate fan power (can be very powerful if used in a negative way) good luck to Martinez or AvB.. Capella would bring his own certain Aura.. The young guys would be more reliant on fan support I think.

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  11. I think the John Barnes interview regarding the current managerial position (and other points) is the most sensible and intelligent appraisal of the situation to date.

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  12. Whatever! I dont care about his achievement in Wigan. You were convinced about the appointment of Roy Hodgson just because you were eager to get rid of Rafa and look at what happened. Roy is good? Come on. I fell asleep 3 times with my Dad watching Liverpool under Roy's management. And now Roberto Martinez is in the picture and you are fully supporting him. You seems to like mediocre manager in our team. I am not convinced you are a genuine Liverpool fan. I am truly sad that I will be watching all the heartbreaking matches with my Dad when Roberto Martinez fumbles and crumbles and eventually the team struggle. Just like the bad old days of Woy. Have we not learned anything? These sub standard managers are not magicians who can perform wonders. If Martinez comes in, then we are better a lucky team than good, because I cant see how sub standard manager can improve a team of the size of Liverpool. Pray for lots of luck as we can forget about attractive football.

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  13. Top 4 is the key for Liverpool survival. Without Champion League, Player won't come and would leave moreover the club debt would increase drastically.

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  14. He has the makings of a great manager but at LFC he will get murdered by fans who are living in the dreamland of past successes.
    LFC will want instant sucess and ROB will never be given time to install his brand and style of football. We have stuck by him here at wigan even when we were bottom of the league with 8 in a row loses behind us. He said that we would not be relegated and he was spot on. Please ROB dont go. Stay here for a while were you are wanted.
    Then go to a proper TOP4 club. 

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  15. We would need to back Capello with some serious funds to get the team to the level he was used to at Roma, Juve, Milan and Real. Give him quality and he'll do the business with it but give him the squad we got, who knows what you get. 

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  16. Roy hodgson is also very good at keeping smaller clubs above the relegation zone... but anyway, whoever the manager is, every supporter should back him up. 

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  17. You obviously have no idea of the style/philosophy of Martinez & AvB they both believe in a fluid, modern attacking style of play.. Very tactically astute and certainly NOT in the same mould as Roy Hodgson! So saying we can 'forget about attractive football' shows your limited knowledge. We can't attract the massive managers anymore.. We need to build with what we've got ir like what Klopp has had to do.. He would be perfect but we've not got a chance of that right now.

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  18. After our semi final against Everton, Barnes said that if we'd bought foreign players last summer we never could of come against Blackburn and Everton and therefore Dalglish's buy british policy was justified. Since that day, I don't listen to what he sais anymore.

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  19. Martinez MIGHT work. He has his plus points undeniably. But it is a HUGE gamble. Particularly as a large proportion of the LFC fan base does not approve of his appointment, which puts him in a precarious and unforgiving position from the off. Given LFC's continuing decline, you have to ask yourself whether this is the time to be taking a huge gamble. Another three or four seasons outside of the CL, and with no new stadium, and the introduction of the FFP, would cement LFC as a mid-tier team with little chance of catching the cash rich clubs. This appointment is absolutely critical. So I ask again, is this the right time to be taking a huge gamble? And what managers would anyone here consider to be a safer bet?

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  20. One of the few LFC legends which always seems to talk sense. Pity he seems like such a softy, he could be a really good manager imo

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  21. You obviously jumped to the conclusion and never read properly. You were on attack mode and couldnt care less about my comment anyway. I am only against the appointment of Roberto Martinez. If AVB comes in, I will be ok with that. As for the attractive football part, I am saying we need lots of luck to win rather than attractive football. I am not even commenting about getting massive managers although speculation has it that Fabio Capello is another option that we have. Between all 3 of them, Capello has many scudettos and liga titles to his name, AVB has Portuguese league and Europa league, while Martinez has 4 seasons of survival league. It's a no brainer. I am not up for any gambles. Proven records speak itself. Period.

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  22. After 4 seasons of underachievement, should we really take another gamble with Martinez? We have gambled alot and lost alot. Let's not be a stubborn gambling addict and bet on reliable horses this time.

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  23. Are you not aware he was a manager
    John Barnes was an absolute disaster of a manager at Celtic and Tranmere, in fact they had to appoint the club physio to the job who got them out of the relegation zone.
    You have to laugh at all these guys who have failed miserably at the job of football manager spouting who they want or who the club should have.

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  24. I agree entirely in what Jaimie says about Martinez, the bloke is spot on. However he wont be given a chance by the Rafaites
    He is flying to the USA on Thursday for an interview with the Yanks though.
    Rafa should retire an run a tapas bar now he has had enough money to buy a few.

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  25. choollun chetanand12:36 pm, May 22, 2012

    I really think that the manager should be someone who brings us to CL football in the first year itself: some may argue that it takes time to build a winning team, but losing another year means the four other teams gaining 1 more year. Hazard should have been our player since comolli planned it as we get into CL in 2012, Hazard comes to us. We really need someone to get us to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th spot. We are going to lose to much respect. Is it the first time that LFC is not playing CL for more than 3 seasons? I do not disrespect Europa League but even if we are in it, our last run showed we were not interested!!

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  26. Look at the talent Capello had and was able to get at those clubs and than compare the squad we have at Liverpool. Big difference between trying to achieve success with those teams and achieving success with the squad at Liverpool.  Great club manager but he is most certainly a gamble.

    Reckon he'll go Chelsea anyway, with their spending power.

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  27. The problem at the moment is I don't even know if Mourinho could do anything with the squad we've got. Spending ridiculous money on such ridiculous players has led us years backwards, certanly not forwards as people want to make us think.
    Yes I'd prefer to see a proven manager come in but we'll have to back him with serious money to bring in top quality players and I'm not sure that is FSG's plan.

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  28. He is not unpopular, he is just not the best man for the job, He might well succeed.

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  29. Playing Thursday/Sunday has proven to be too much for a lot of clubs.
    Sometimes getting knocked out of the Europa League is a blessing in disguise. Interesting if the new manager goes full strength in it unlike Harry Redknapp and Martin O'Neill did. Fulham started playing in July got knocked out and rose up the table to finish level with Liverpool and even had the audacity to win at Anfield for the first time ever.

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  30. One thing is for certain, if the new Manager does not succeed, the fans wont blame Him but the Owners who hired Him.

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  31. How can you be so disrespectful to manager who has won the champions league with Liverpool and clearly loves the club so much. I m not saying we should get Rafa but Martinez is another flavour of the month manager like Hodgson. He should take the Villa job. I m amazed he is even being considered! It just shows me that we have another set of owners who don't know what they are doing.

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  32. The benitez brigade have been trying to dictate who we appoint since we got rid of him i say anyone but rafa

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  33. maybe you should ask Derek Acorah who that man is.

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  34. AVB seems the only realistic choice

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  35. Mate. You are welcome to him....I pray every night that he stays with you as well

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  36. your right there Adrian. If you dont support Rafa you get harassed and shouted down by a large portion of the Rafaites.

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  37. You maybe right about Martinez and it might be a job too far for him, but i don't believe that FSG have just decided that he could be the man for them, they must surely be taking advice from somebody in the know. Maybe Clarke is advising them or I read somewhere that Henry had asked for advice from a Journalist. My point is that I don't believe FSG are going to make such a massive decision on something they have sunk a lot of money into based on there limited knowledge of football without researching it or taking advice from respected football people.

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  38. well it looks like martinez going to be the new manager, dont know what to say but when you sack a legend like kenny then you must get a better one , it should be done like this, no? just wonder whos martinez gonna buy? likes of figuroa di santo moses i guess, omg, if i knew fsg would chase people like avb and martinez i would never want kenny to leave but now we all seeing its too late its done and may God help us how we gonna do next season, this is such a disgrace, we're gonna have the same players as last season plus a manager who used to fight for staying up every single year, wow i call this as a catastrophe as i cant find another softer word, now im even pro a rafa return at least he knows whats a top club and whats like playing in champions league, but hell no martinez or boas or lambert, all these names are just sorry to hear about, when you talk about lfc, every year i feel more distanced to lfc, the club is ruining more and more and we see no progress at all, i fear we're gonna lose many fans in the next years and im sure we did lose some for these 2-3 years, and cant blame them tbh, me for example i never saw lfc winning the league im a fan for 12 years now and i fear i might die without seeing my club winning the league, people are still loyal to the club and the club thanks them in this way, this is unacceptable, we've been just too loyal with the club, and deserve something now, but still nothing, when is this nightmare going to end at lfc?!

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  39.  I have no time for Rafa the decline started under him and has carried on since. He blame the Yanks and he blamed the lack of cash, but 40m went down the drain on the likes of Aquilani, Pennant and Keane.

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  40. I personally would love Rafa to get another chance. But if it Martinez or AVB or whoever is going to b, the whole fans need to support the new mngr from the day one or we might end up like Newcastle few years ago.

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  41. Since Emery is out of the picture, my vote now is for Leonardo.

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  42. I remember the time when Liverpool Beat Real 5 to 0 and Man u 4 to 1. I went to a Real Madrid forum, and everyone there said that Liverpool at that time, was the best team in Europe (or the world), and that whoever went against them in Champions League in later stages, would inevitably lose. 

    I honestly hope that whoever FSG appoints as a new manager, will bring Liverpool that kind of reputation within 2 to 3 years. 

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  43. Exciting times at PSG, under the new ownership and their buying power, so wouldn't be surprised to see Leonardo not going back to a managerial position for a while yet. 
    But of course, who knows. Seems to have a key role in the transfer policy over there, along with Ancelotti. 

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  44. How do you know why he failed? It's quite possible it came down to lack of man management skills. The fact that he attempted management shows he does know something about footy, unlike the majority of ex LFC stars who give us their useless and often biased opinion. I know he failed, even in Jamaica, but I get the impression it was down to him being too soft. Off topic a bit, one "pundit" who has attained my respect with his opinions, whom I predict to become an excellent manager one day is my former most hated player Gary Neville. If he were an ex Liverpool player I'd be calling for him to be trained up.

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  45. Rafa blames everyone but himself. Did it at Valencia, Liverpool and Inter. Blaming owners, directors, rival managers, reserve league, youth academy, reserve league,  the kit man, etc.

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  46. Swansea City Fan1:54 pm, May 22, 2012

    Don't go Roberto..if you lose a game the fans will destroy you...We all know Rome wasn't built in a day...they won't give you time...stay at a club that needs you..We are thankful Brendan saw the light and said NO....

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  47. Wilson Michaelpaul1:55 pm, May 22, 2012

    " boo him on his debut  - out by xmas "    just one quote from a LFC fan on one of the club forums ( and no it wasnt RAWK ) this is what I fear , that again a manager is hounded out from day 1 and we become more universally loathed than we were back in February .

    Please FSG  - no more risky gambles on flavour of the month managers  - Martinez is a well liked guy , I would hate to see him booed just because its a job too far for him at this time.

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  48. Yes Gary and his brother both would make good managers. Phil is the ultimate professional and he has done an awful lot of work for cystic fibrosis as his daughter suffers from it as I saw a programme about him.
    I hated Gary Neville as a player but I found myself watching the CL final on Sky not ITV because I preferred the commentary team.

    John Barnes failed at Tranmere because like most guys who spend their life playing in the big time have a culture shock when getting a job managing in the lower leagues, at Liverpool he was pampered, at Tranmere he probably had to put the nets up.
    At Tranmere he also went bankrupt though he described it as a glitch with his tax return. I would describe it as living beyond your means but I can only give an opinion on that.
    He was sacked by Tranmere after 11 games losing 9 and Tranmere's away support of 400 were chanting for his dismissal at his final game so the chairman sacked him after it.
    He lasted 7 months at Celtic and this is what was said by the Chairman of the Celtic Supporters Club after his dismissal
    "I can't really feel that sorry for John Barnes. He had a fixed idea about team
    tactics and brought a lot of the problems on himself."It was common
    knowledge the players weren't comfortable and the supporters were clearly
    unhappy. "Celtic fans have been brought up on a diet of attacking
    football, glamorous football - but that's not what we were getting."
    I leave you to form your own opinion on that guys comments.

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  49. mourinho is not likely to swap coaching Ronaldo for coaching Downing. Its like trading in your ferrari for a Nissan Micra.

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  50. I remember the time when Wigan beat Newcastle 4 to 0 and Arsenal 2 to 1. Oh, and didn't they also been ManU and, shame of it, Liverpool? And they won deservedly and by playing an exciting and attractive style of football. But isn't Wigan a team of unknown players constantly battling relegation? How could they win those games? Maybe, because a brilliant manager, passionate about winning, built a system of play around the players instead of forcing his players to match his system. Now, isn't that just what is needed at today's Liverpool?

    Roberto Martinez is a risky choice, yes. He wouldn't be the choice of a majority of fans, who want only the biggest and most expensive names. But...he could build a legacy over the next two decades that makes ManU's achievements in the last 20 years seem like child's play. I for one would like to see FSG take that risk.

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  51. the moral of the story then Hakeem is not to give legends the job in the first place. Legendary players dont always make good managers and fans due to their loyalty to the guy as a player tend to view his reign as manager through rose tinted glasses.

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  52. i remember when I could run down the wing beat 3 men and smash the ball in from 25 yards.
    I hated my dad when he threw my subbetteo out.

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  53. One other small point. By beating ManU, Wigan stopped them from becoming champions. That alone gives us something to cheer about!

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  54. Aim for top 4 and it's easy to slide into mediocrity. 

    Top 4 should be deemed as minimum standard rather than a target. You don't see Man U going on about Top 4 all the time, and that is a big part of why they continue to challenge for the title every year - because they expect that to happen, regardless of whatever else may happen

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  55. Lets hope the fans do the same!

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  56. Just support whoever gets the job I, am sick of the negativity around this club

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  57. yes we have had the fat spanish waiter now lets get the thin one.

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  58. i like it chan

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  59. If that's true then this guy is a disgrace to LFC. We really can't carry on like this. I personally don't want Rafa back but if he was given the job I would support him to the hilt. Martinez is a good intelligent manager who is very highly rated within football circles, you never know his appointment could be a masterstroke. The fact that somebody is prepared to boo him without giving him a chance really winds me up.

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  60. Who ever comes and manages the club right now is a very brave man knowing the position the club finished and the challenges and expectations of  LFC ,he will be needing at least three years to try and take back the club to Europe although with a few good signings we might finish in the top 4 at least in the new season albeit he won't be having too much money to start buying the best players . But who ever manages the Club will need the support of the club and the fans YNWA

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  61. I'm going to walk through fire here, because I think too many have a gilt-edged view of the past. When Rafa was manager, I was on tenterhooks every week. He came up with some strange game tactics, and often they would not pay off. He wasn't short on good players, so he really couldn't blame anyone but himself. During his final season with the club, Liverpool played poorly and it was often because of his changing tactics. He tried to fit players to his ideas, and often they did not work. I got fed up with watching after-match interviews about 'bad luck' and 'bad refs'. Despite his earlier successes, he just couldn't seem to manage the team well. He may want the job, he may be loyal to the club and the city, but why go back to that?

    This is the point, right? Rafa (and AVB at Chelsea) tried to fit the players to his systems. Martinez, on the other hand, builds systems around his players. That is a fundamentally different way of thinking, and it's why Martinez should be considered seriously.

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  62. chibuzo akobundu5:22 pm, May 22, 2012

    you obvioiusly know all there is to know about football. I think IMO that Martinez did a great job with Wigan . He is not perfect , and yes he did make some mistakes for allowing them to be in relegation trouble in the first place. The fact that he took a team of nobodies and got them to play beautiful football, beating Liverpool, Chelsea and a few other bigger clubs with bigger ego's speaks volumes to me.  In foot-ball as you well know anything can happen. The manager who does his homework , and prepares the best can beat a Goliath of a team. We just saw Chelsea beat Barcalona in two legs during the champions league. It is not impossible for a team of nobodies to beat a team of somebodies. It just depends on who you have coaching the team of nobodies. Martinez to me is a coach who is capable of inspiring players to come together and really play for him . Wigan did just that near the end of the season. I think this makes him a good candidate for the Liverpool job. If the media is to be believed it is said that this quality alone is why John Henry is impresses with him. He is likely to be the cheaper choice for Liverpool compared to AVB.

    Rafaism is dead. Benitez may come back but it won't be any time soon. 

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  63. chibuzo akobundu5:30 pm, May 22, 2012

    no to AVB, I think you really meant to say that you will take Martinez with open arms. Your brain washing is now complete. You will now get behind Martinez, and you will now tell your family and friends to get behind Martinez. Remember AVB failed at chelsea with team full of talent. He lost respect of the players and lost the dressing room.  You like Martinez and not AVB. Tell your friends.

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  64. chibuzo akobundu6:16 pm, May 22, 2012

    i couldn't agree more with you . Legend or not, the landscape had changed since kenny was last a coach and the learning curve was just too steep. I doubt he could have helped Wigan avoid the drop again this season if he were in charge of them.

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  65. dont count your chickens mate, Reading finished top half when they come up and then went down, the second season is tougher than the first, hope you survive but it wont be a picnic. You have to hold onto your better players and your manager seems half decent so good luck to you I prefer you to Cardiff.

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  66. some very good points there, Rafa tinkered with the team every week

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  67. NonEventHorizon9:52 pm, May 22, 2012

    Hi Chan. Capello may have had better squads (Roma debatable) at other teams but surely with his previous track record he would be able to attract a higher calibre of player to Liverpool. IMO that has to be a massive plus considering the potential smaller budget we have for this transfer window.

    Consider if you were a £15m striker and had the choice, of say, NUFC with Pardew or LFC with Martinez. Where would you go, especially after last season? To a progressing club or to a regressing club with a manager known for relegation battles?

    Now make the same consideration but with a manager at LFC who has a pretty good, if not world class, reputation.

    Although saying all that, I'd have concerns with Capello's grasp of English and how that would affect communicating with the squad now that we have a large number of British players.

    I can't really see any no-brainer candidates for us which is a bit worrying.

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  68. NonEventHorizon9:53 pm, May 22, 2012

    Basically my post below is agreeing with you that Capello is a gamble, but I went on a bit of a ramble with it :)

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  69. Hi


    Higher calibre player cost more money. Its one thing being able to attract a higher calibre player with a manager like that but its another thing to actually be able to afford it. We may be able afford maybe one or two top players and that is even without considering we aren't even in CL but doubt it, beyond that number. That isn't enough to get this squad anywhere near the level Capello can attract players at the top of their game but these players cost a lot of money, which is the type of player he is used to in his first XIs, we barely have any. It is going to be very hard to get this team to Capello's usual club standards in a swift manner. Asking Capello to work with a squad and potential transfer budget which is considerably below what he is used to, is in some ways as big a risk as asking Roberto Martinez to manage a big club for the first time. I know you say 'higher' and not 'top' like me but at the end of the day, 'top' is what Capello is used to at club level. Giving him anything but that, is a unknown risk.I would take nearly single player, if not all, that he had at Roma in his first XI and then some more, over what we have at the moment (even the ageing and twilight Gerrard), comfortably but that is just my view. Oh how I would love to have someone like Cafu or Batigol, who would make a embarrassing mockery of £18m Johnson and £30m+ Carroll, even with their little toe. Light years, light years ahead of them, in terms of talent. Off the top of my head I'd take also, back then of course, Aldair, Candela, Samuel, Totti, Panucci, Cassano, De Rossi, Emerson, Mancini (apart from a season or two under Spalletti, his career has been on a downward spiral since Capello left), Nakata (used to love watching him play) and Chivu over the present lot we have (so Gerrard now, not Gerrard at his peak). I was never a big fan of the Roma keeper during that period but its not as if Reina is flawless these days.

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  70. Aim for the sky and you will reach the ceiling, aim for the ceiling and you will stay on the floor (dunno who this or the exact wording)

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  71. Well Barnes I hope your right because Liverpool fans desperatly need too see some positive things aroung the club 

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